Newcastle CVS

Following last week's budget announcement about the restricting of tax relief on charitable gifts, a campaign has been initiated by a number of key voluntary sector bodies, including the Community Foundation Network, NCVO, CAF and others, to try to get the policy changed. We believe this is important as tax relief influences the amount major donors choose to give, particularly to set up foundations or funds at community foundations. The policy seems counter to the desire to increase philanthropy and there may be a chance that the government will reconsider restricting tax relief on charitable donations. Newcastle CVS has joined the campaign.

To find out more visit http://giveitbackgeorge.org/

Newcastle CVS wants to focus more on poverty and inequalities in Newcastle. We have planned some work for the coming year and would welcome the input of others into this. If you would be interested in joining a small task group to help us with this work, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We have created a page on our website to start to collect and share useful resources and information.

To find out more visit www.cvsnewcastle.org.uk/resources/poverty-and-inequality-in-newcastle

Are you a charity based in the north east that works with children and young people? VONNE and the North East Child Poverty Commission are working together on surveying charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises that work with children and young people to find out how public sector cuts are impacting on their work and clients. This survey is part of the ongoing "Surviving or Thriving" series looking at how the economic downturn is affecting the third sector in the north east and lobbying for additional support. The deadline for responses is 4.00pm 20 April.

To take part visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/nechildpoverty

Newcastle CVS and a task group of voluntary and community sector partners want to find out how voluntary and community sector groups in Newcastle are using community development to work with communities of interest, identity or geography. So please tell us how community development informs the work of your organisation. Why does community development work for you, what are the successes, what are the challenges? This short online survey will close 19 April.

• Community development in Newcastle survey

Tees Valley Rural Community Council is working with VONNE to donate IT equipment to voluntary and community groups across the north east. The equipment is to help increase the capacity of groups to provide support to their beneficiaries, and includes laser jet printers; desktops; notebooks; monitors; fax machines; and, data projectors. The equipment is free but there is a small admin charge of £6 per item. You need to apply using the application form by 20 April.

To find out more visit www.teesvalleyrcc.org.uk

Newcastle CVS has responded to the Big Lottery consultation on Building Capabilities for Impact and Legacy.  You can read our response here.

Newcastle CVS launched Changing Times: Women's organisations in Newcastle on 8 March 2012 to coincide with International Women's Day. This report highlights the current challenges facing women's voluntary organisations in Newcastle.

The report demonstrates that:

• Women’s organisations are facing a loss of funding
• There is growing demand for their services
• There is pressure on them to provide services for men as well
• There is a growing need for women only space and women only services
• The value of work with women is often not recognised by funders

The report describes the experiences and views from ten women’s organisations that are based in Newcastle upon Tyne.  It shows that women’s organisations are facing an uncertain future, at a time when demand is increasing.  It highlights there is a definite and growing need for women only space and women only services.

• Changing Times : Women's organisations in Newcastle
• Press release: Changing Times: International Women's Day 2012

International Women's Day has been marked since in the early 1900's, and events are held around the world on 8 March to inspire women and celebrate achievements. Here is information about events and activities to celebrate the day in Newcastle.

International Women’s Day 2012 events                                         

• International Women's Day - what's on in Newcastle PDF

Many voluntary and community groups in Newcastle hold events and activities to celebrate International Women's Day. These groups arrange events and activities all year round. Check out their websites or phone them for details of their work. Newcastle CVS has pulled together the activities we know about, but there will also be other activities happening which aren't listed here.

West End Women and Girls

The group is holding a number of events to celebrate International Women’s Day.  You can find out more about them by calling 0191 2734942. The events are at West End Women and Girls Centre, The Stephenson Building, 173 Elswick Road, Newcastle NE4 6SQ

• Monday 5 March they will be holding a pie and pea supper with bingo and a raffle as a fundraiser for the centre. All women welcome, with boys at primary school welcome with their mama. £3 per person (family discounts available)
• Wednesday 7 March 9.00am to 11.00am International Women’s Day breakfast. A chance to try food from around the world to celebrate International Women’s Day, all women welcome. Please contact Chelsea on 0191 273 4942 for more information
• Thursday 8 March 6.30pm to 9.00pm - Swags and Tails performance. The play is set on the day Margaret Thatcher dies, against a back drop of austerity and cuts. Meet Gloria, her past eroded during years living in dementia units; Mary, the care-worker getting it from all angles and housebound Lillian, locked up in her one spare room with only herself and eight bottles of sloe gin for company. Faced with the closure of their day centre will Ellen and Marlene unite and make a last stand? “There’s more to life than a custard cream and chocolate bourbon”

HealthWORKS

• Tuesday 6 March 9.00am to 12.00pm Let’s Get Active for International Women's Day. Free women only gym and studio sessions and free induction if you are a new member. HealthWORKS Newcastle, Adelaide Terrace, Benwell, Newcastle, NE4 8BE, telephone 0191 272 4244
• Tuesday 6 March 1.00pm to 3.00pm Centre for Sport on the West Road BME Women’s Badminton. If you have not played badminton for a while or even if you have, this is a fantastic opportunity to meet like minded women and enjoy some relaxed exercise. This is a weekly session that is currently running and costs just £1.50 but for International Women’s Day the session is FREE so bring all your friends. Just come along and join in, no strings attached. For more information on this No Strings Badminton call Rashida Ahmes on 01912783347

Angelou Centre

• Tuesday 6 March 12.00pm to 3.00pm Annual General Meeting and dancing, international cuisine buffet at The Beacon, Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE4 9PQ.  Crèche available. To book a place at the event contact 07540767071

Newcastle Women's Collective and Newcastle University Feminist Society

• Wednesday 7 March 7.30pm Cluny Warehouse, Byker, minimum donation £3. This is a women only event with an exciting evening of entertainment. There is a range of entertainment including Kate Fox, an exclusive women-only Suggestibles performance, poetry, music, Iceni, arts exhibitions and much more. To find out more go to http://www.newcastlewomenscollective.co.uk

SHINE

• 5 and 9 March short fun taster sessions. The sessions are designed for staff at your organisation to show what SHINE could offer you and your service users. Volunteers and service users are welcome at the discretion of the individual organisation. Two free 15 minutes taster sessions are available. Please book ASAP as this will help fit in as many projects as possible. To find out more please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 0191 277 2056. SHINE is based at 11 Nelson Street, Newcastle, NE1 5AN

Elswick Pool and the Centre for Sport

The pool and centre are turning pink for IWD. If you would like more information regarding activities for International Women's Day at Elswick Pool and Centre for Sport please call Kerry Nesbitt on 0191 278 3331

• Wednesday 7 March 9.30am to 11.30am In celebration of IWD Elswick pool is giving women the opportunity to try something a bit different. Elswick pool will be turning pink for the third year in a row to mark the day.  There will be a variety of activities for women to try such as aqua-fit, boot camp and spinning with full use of the sauna facilities during the morning. Elswick pool is on Beech Grove Road, Newcastle NE4 6SQ
• Thursday 8 March 1.00pm to 2.30pm The Centre for Sport is throwing their doors and offering women only gym, 30 minutes of zumba and 30 minutes of a new game called rush hockey which has all the calorie burning, fitness benefits of hockey but played indoors with a soft ball. Why not come along and see for yourself.  You’ll also receive a free taste of fruit at both sessions and hopefully try something a little different whilst marking the occasion with other women. Centre for Sport, West Road, Newcastle, NE4 9LG

Riverside Community Health

• Thursday 8 March 10.00am to 2.00pm Come and join The Women's Group to Celebrate International Women's Day in the newly refurbished Beecham Hall, Carnegie Building, Atkinson Road, Benwell, Newcastle, NE4 8XS.  There will be a chance to try out and enjoy self portraits, hand and arm massage, crafts, knitting and nattering, cake decorating demonstration, jewellery making, creative writing, reflection, poems, and gallery.  JET will be running beauty taster sessions.  A light lunch and refreshments are available. To book please call Bren on 0191 226 0754

Newcastle University

• Thursday 8 March 12.00pm to 4.30pm Newcastle University Business School, 5  Barrack Road, Newcastle NE1 4SE. This event is to mark International Women’s Day and will provide a wonderful opportunity to highlight the contribution of women to social renewal and economic prosperity through their invention, innovation, entrepreneurial and charitable activities. There is no charge to attend but places are limited - so please register to book your free place.

Northern TUC

• Thursday 8 March 5.00pm to 7.00pm  Women and the cuts The Collingwood Room, Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne. Join with other women from all over the region to fight back against the unfair, unmitigated and unnecessary cuts that are plunging women back into unemployment, poverty and second class citizen status.  The meeting will also launch the TUC’s ‘Women and the Cuts Toolkit’ and discuss a programme of work to highlight the continuing impact of austerity on women full details in the attached flyer. Speakers include Sally Young, Chief Executive of Newcastle Council for Voluntary Services and Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle North. The Chair is Clare Williams, Northern TUC Women’s Group. If you want to attend, please contact Melanie Lowden on 0191 227 5551 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   TUC, Commercial Union House, 5th Floor, 39 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle NE1 6QE

Tyneside Women’s Health

• Friday 9 March from 11.00am onwards. Come along and celebrate International Women’s Day at Tyneside Women’s Health. Enjoy a lovely lunch and take part in jewellery making, singing, have a health check, find out about garden craft, enjoy a beauty treatment plus information on groups and courses. Come for five minutes or four hours! Or anything in between! This is a women-only event at the TWH Newcastle Centre, Wilfred Street, Byker (near Morrisons). Call 0191 4777898 or 0191 265 4692 for more information.

Newcastle City Council

• Tuesday 13 March 6.00pm to 8.30pm Collingwood Suite, Newcastle Civic Centre, Barras. Bridge, Newcastle. Newcastle City Council would like to invite you to a women only evening of discussion debate and networking on Pale, Male and Stale?  The panel debating key issues will include Rowena Russell, Umme Imam, Joyce McCarty, Claire Williams, Razzia Gafur, Sally Young, Kate Welsh, Bonny O’Brien and Clara Shield. To book a place, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 0191 2777541

So why do this

In 1857, 1907 and 1908 American garment workers, all women, marched and demonstrated demanding better pay. In 1910 their example was the inspiration for Clara Zetkin to declare an International Day for Women, at the Socialist Women’s Conference in Copenhagen that year.

The day chosen in 1913 was 8 March, and has been so ever since.  The early ‘Days’ focused on pay and voting rights for women. More recently women’s liberation has been prominent, but the Day has always been concerned with the broader struggles of women in the world.

All around the world on 8 March women choose different ways to mark our Day. The emphasis may be on liberation struggles, on women’s working conditions, on freedom from hunger or violence, or a celebration of the strength, vitality and potential of women.

Many of the original ideals have been achieved but many more are still to be won. So please spread the word about these events, try to attend yourself and encourage others to get involved. There is still a lot to be done (especially for women in other countries), so help make our voices heard.

Newcastle CVS

Newcastle CVS promotes voluntary and community action in Newcastle. We do this through supporting, developing, promoting, connecting and representing voluntary and community organisations in Newcastle. We believe our work helps to make Newcastle a better place to live.

This information is published in good faith but Newcastle CVS accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracy in the items. You are welcome to copy any item for use in the promotion of voluntary sector activity.

Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service, MEA House, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8XS    Tel 0191 232 7445    www.cvsnewcastle.org.uk

Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service is a registered charity (number 1125877) and company limited by guarantee (number 6681475)

The spring issue of our quarterly magazine, Inform, has now been published. A printed copy will be arriving on members' door mats very soon but here's a PDF to be going on with.

• Inform spring 2012

In this issue we celebrate Tyneside Women's Health, one of our members, and included articles on our commitment to focusing on tackling poverty and inequality and our Surviving or Thriving in Newcastle report. We've also given updates on community organising, the Work Programme and Newcastle's Wellbeing for Life board. And we've tried to support your group with stories on managing in tough times, tax effective giving, and helping you with your year end.

We hope there's something for everyone.